Was There Ever Any Doubt?
by Vierva
Summary: Clare has been avoiding Eli and he wants to know why. Rated T just in case.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Degrassi or any of its characters.

**AN:** I know that several other people have done stories quite similar to this one. But, I figured that I'd try to put my own spin on it. Clare and Eli might be OOC but I don't really care since I have no idea how either of them would react to this. I don't have a title at the moment but if anyone has an idea, I'm open to suggestions. **Edit**: I've decided on the title "Was There Ever Any Doubt?". I thank thisbeautifultragedy for the suggestion. Also, for those who don't know, OOC stands for out of character and is used for situations when a character acts in a way that is unusual for them.

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She was **not** avoiding him. She was just... All right, she **was** avoiding him. But she had a very good reason for doing it! Clare Edwards was through with Eli Goldsworthy and his mixed signals. One minute, he was complimenting her eyes and just generally giving off the vibe that he wanted to be something more than just friends. The next minute, he's just being all cool and treating her like just another one of the guys and not acting any different than he did when he was with Adam. It was really starting to drive her insane!

She had sworn to herself that she wouldn't fall so hard and so fast for a guy after what had happened with K.C. But she really couldn't help it. He was just so cute with that lopsided smirk and those gorgeous green eyes of his. She knew how mushy it sounded, but when he'd smirk at her like that she thought that she really would melt.

If only he would be straightforward about the way that he felt about her. Though, knowing Eli, it probably 'wasn't his style'. Whatever that meant. He was just so infuriating! But, then again, that was one of the many things she had come to love about him. They were so different but, at the same time, she felt like he understood how she felt better than anyone else.

After that day of 'public humiliation', as Eli called it, she felt like she could tell him almost anything. Whenever her parents would start up fighting when they thought that she was asleep, she'd put on the headphones that he had given her and think of him. It would make things just a bit better, until she took them off and reality came back to rear its ugly head. When the arguing got particularly bad, she'd log onto her IM account and hope to God that Eli was on too. Just talking to him, even if it wasn't in person, made things seem just a little bit easier to deal with.

Getting back to the matter at hand, she was tired of looking into those green eyes and wondering if he could ever think of her the way she thought of him. So she planned on evading him as long as possible in an attempt to try to get him out of her head. Truth be told, she wasn't having much luck. It seemed that he had managed to take over her every thought and it was nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else. _Like my English assignment_, she thought bitterly.

Looking around, she was on alert for him as she tried to sneak her way to her next class without running into **him**. Unfortunately for her, that wasn't going to be as easy as she had hoped. Standing around the corner was none other than Eli himself. And it was very obvious that he was looking for something and that something was most likely her. After all, she had been dodging him all morning. So, in another attempt to get past him, she moved quickly in the general direction of her next class hoping that he would keep looking in the opposite direction and not see her.

Again, her luck was lousy and he turned around and spotted her. He hadn't seen her immediately, but she figured that the binder she was holding in front of her face had done more to attract attention to her than to camouflage her.  
"Clare! Clare, wait up!" Clare flinched reflexively at the sound of his voice and looked on helplessly as he attempted to push through the crowd of students to reach her. Looking around desperately, Clare tried to find some sort of escape route.

Luck was finally with her and she spotted the girls' bathroom. Even **he** wouldn't dare to follow her in there. So, she broke out into a sprint towards the girls' bathroom. Glancing behind her, she saw that Eli had also started to run and was getting close. Panicked, she faced forward and moved even more quickly towards the door. "Clare! Would you stop running from me? I just want to talk to you!"  
Neither of them caring about the strange looks they were receiving from their classmates, they both continued their chase until they reached the door, Eli yelling after her the whole time.

Gasping for air, Clare grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open wide enough that she could slip through. She pulled it shut behind her immediately. Hearing something slam into the door, she knew that Eli hadn't missed her by much. Breathing heavily, she turned and leaned her back against the door. Some of her red curls had fallen into her face during her mad dash, so she moved them to the side with a slightly shaking hand.

After awhile Eli spoke. "Clare, please come out. I really need to talk to you." Clare was surprised to hear his voice. She had thought that he would have given up as soon as she reached her boy-free safe haven. But, as she was beginning to realize, Elijah Goldsworthy didn't just give up.

"No, Eli. Why would I come out? You just chased me across the school! Do you really expect me to come out after that?" Clare prayed that he would buy that obviously pathetic excuse. "I only chased you because you ran away from me! What was that all about? Do I really bug you that much, Blue Eyes?" Clare could practically hear the smirk in his voice, even through the door. But she could also hear some seriousness there. Before she could think of something to say, he started to speak again. "I know you've been avoiding me. You didn't really think that I wouldn't notice, did you? I want to know why. Did I say something that really offended you? I've been thinking about it all day and I've still got nothing. I even asked Adam about it, but all he said was 'You're going to have to figure this one out on your own'. And I just don't get it. Tell me what's wrong, Clare."

Even though the humor had disappeared from his voice, Clare still had to choke back a laugh as Eli mimicked Adam. Once she felt the laughter pass, she answered him. "You didn't say anything to offend me, Eli. It's just that... Well, I don't understand you! You've been giving me all these mixed signals and I just don't think that I can stand it anymore!" Clare was a bit surprised at her own outburst. She hadn't meant to put it quite like that, but it was already out now.

"What do you mean?" Clare sighed at how utterly confused Eli sounded. Did he honestly not know? Did he really not get how he affected her? The way her heart raced like crazy when he'd give her that adorable smirk as he playfully teased her. Or the way her legs felt pathetically weak whenever he'd stare at her with those brilliant green eyes? God, she sounded like Alli when she went on those rants about Drew. _What has this boy done to me?_, Clare wondered.

Mustering up all of her courage, Clare turned around and opened the door to reveal a very surprised Eli. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. "Eli, what am I to you? Sometimes you act like all we are is friends, nothing more and nothing less. But, other times, you make it seem like you actually..." She couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't manage to speak the words that she'd been thinking for awhile. That during those other times, she felt like he might actually like her back and not just as a friend. Clare had been staring at her feet as she spoke, but looked up afterward to try to see his reaction. He looked even more surprised than when he had before she'd spoken. After a moment of staring at her in apparent shock, he answered. "What do you mean? Are you saying that you like me, Blue Eyes?" His smirk had returned and so had that mischievous look. Both of which made Clare blush slightly and return her gaze to the floor.

"That might be it. But I guess you'll never know."  
"Well, what if I were to tell you that I might like you back?" At this, Clare looked back up at him. Was he serious? Or was he just joking around like always?

"Then, I guess we'd have to figure out what we are to each other. If you actually meant it, that is."

"What do you mean **if** I meant it? Of course I meant it! I really do like you, Clare." While he spoke, he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. She could tell that he really was being serious. "Well then, what are you going to do about it?" A thoughtful looked crossed his face and he paused for a moment. "Hmm. Well, I suppose that there's only one thing I can do. Clare, would you do me the great honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He was looking at her hopefully and Clare thought he looked very adorable.

But she decided to let him sweat a bit. She put on her best thinking face. With a smirk of her own she said, "I don't know, Eli. I'll have to think about it for awhile."

Eli pouted."Clare, seriously."

Clare sighed."Fine. Of course I'll date you, Eli. Was there ever really any doubt?"

Eli didn't just smirk. He **grinned**. "I knew you couldn't resist me, Edwards." With that he leaned in and kissed her and it was really the happiest she had ever been. He was a much better kisser than K.C. could dream of being. But unfortunately for them, the bell rang and they had to split up or risk more detention. But, they would just pick up where they left off after school.

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**AN****:** What did you think? This is the longest thing I've ever written and I hope that I did well with it. Reviews would be appreciated.


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